Issue 128 Just one word
by Aria Morid
Summary: A rewrite of the comic issue 128. Will is looking forward to the cruise she, her parents, Cornelia and Matt would go on. Finally some time with her boyfriend. But, when things don't go exactly as planned, a very surprising turn of events happens, giving Will a great time. Too bad not everything is meant to last. There will be a sequel after "Howling for fortune" is finished.
1. Part 1

_**[A/N] After issue 128 came out, I was happy. Will and Matt finally broke up! Then I read it and I found I hated it. Why? Because the characters felt out of character, the drawings were sloppy, the things used (Titanic reference for example) were too cheesy and the ending with Cornelia being so obvious that even Hay Lin would get the hint, made me hate it. Or dislike it a lot. And I'm not the only one. NotQuiteNorm too, was not happy with the issue. We talked and decided we could do this better. **_

_**So, here's my version of issue 128 "Just one word".**_

**Issue 128 "Just one word"**

**Part 1**

"_Hearts will always be able to love."_

It was a cold Friday afternoon, two o'clock to be precise, which meant the usual bustle was happening in Heatherfield. Yet there was one house where things were standing upside down. The house of one Will Vandom was usually rather tidy, with exception of the room of said girl, but today every bedroom held at least two suitcases, which were open, with multiple articles of clothing laying aimlessly through the room.  
It was because they would leave for a weekend. A short trip to leave their troubles behind and have some fun on their own. Something they'd planned for quite some time and it was the thing Will had been looking forward to since the moment it was decided. In fact, she'd always loved vacations, even when she was little. She would pester her mother for hours about where they would be going, usually the ocean or another place where they could swim, whilst asking her mother to take her frog along, or something else.

Like clothing.

"Come on. They're not that many swimsuits!" Will argued.

Her mother had come in to check on her packing and had been astounded to find that her daughter had packed more swimsuits than other clothing items, which of course raised the argument they were having now. Will had pouted and crossed her arms, stubbornly looking at her mother, who desperately tried to talk them out of her daughter's mind.

"I already told you Will!" she said. "It will be too cold!"

Will rolled her eyes and turned her back to her mother like she usually did when arguing. She placed her arms behind her head and looked slightly sideways.

"But we're going on a cruise!" She argued in return, hoping to explain her mother why it was necessary to have ten swimsuits.

"A short cruise," her mother replied. "In November."

Her shoulders slumped and she trudged to her bed, not wanting to give up the fight. So fine, the cruise wouldn't stop at a fancy island. She could handle that. She let herself fall on her bed, facing her mother, who was already smirking victoriously.

"I'm sure there'll be an indoor pool!" she argued again.

Her mother sighed and rolled her eyes, causing Will to hide a small smirk. How many years had they argued? She'd learnt from the past and was glad to see her mother show signs of defeat.

"Fine," she said. "Bring one swimsuit!"

She finished with a warning, but Will had already jumped off her bed and grinned happily at her mother, who sighed and smiled at her daughter in return as the latter removed eight of her ten swimsuits. She saw her mother looking pointedly at her suitcase, with her replying with a rebellious look, her lip pushed out and a frown to challenge her mother a little more.

"Don't bring any sweaters either!"

Will jumped when her stepfather suddenly appeared behind her. She'd been too busy challenging her mother to notice and when she turned around, she saw Dean Collins holding an ugly red sweater with a reindeer on it while grinning madly at her.

"Why?" she asked, dreading the answer.

"I bought you two!" He said, holding up the sweater against her, causing Will to internally groan and give her mother a look that called for help.

Her mother, who looked at the sweater with the same look of disgust as she had, nodded and walked to her husband. Will took a step back as Susan bent over to get a better look at the sweater, her brow crinkling with furrows as the ugliness appalled her, yet she seemed to struggle to hide her obvious idea about her husband's choice of clothing.

"Urgh," she said, before restoring herself behind a cough. "Uhm, where did those come from?"

She asked it carefully, but Will could read the disdain in her voice. Dean smiled proudly at her, obviously not hearing it and patted the sweater.

"Well, from a shop," he answered vaguely.

Will rolled her eyes. Of course Dean would just walk into the first best shop with sweaters. It was a sad reminder that not all men had a taste for clothing. She walked away from her parents, hoping to fill her suitcase now that her mother was distracted.

"They can go back to whatever dark dimension you got them from." she said, shivering at the idea of wearing such a sweater.

She quickly dumped a pair of pants over the swimsuits, while her mother looked at Dean with an almost ashamed smile when a new voice rang through her room.

"Don't worry professor! I'll lend her a sweater..."

Will's head turned so quickly she nearly sprained her neck and smiled broadly when she saw the blonde Earth Guardian stand in her doorway with her arms crossed while she looked with great disgust at the sweater. Will shot at her, glad to see her friend and someone who could save her from the torture her parents were putting her through.

"Cornelia! I'm so glad you're here!" she said, hugging her closely.

"Like I could have you wear something that hideous," Cornelia muttered at her before they broke up, getting an embarrassed smile from her friend. She then cleared her throat and looked at the two adults, of whom the male still not seemed to get the hint that the clothing he chose was ugly beyond measure. "And right on time. As you can see, I'm ready to leave."

She motioned to two suitcases which stood near her, still grinning over Will's gratitude for saving her from a disaster. She then turned to Susan, placing her hands politely in her lap and looking slightly down, just like her grandmother had taught her over the years.

"Thank you for inviting me, Mrs. Collins," she said.

Susan nodded with a smile.  
"Don't mention it, Cornelia!" she said as she grabbed her daughter's shoulders. "At least you can take care of Will and her Matt."

Will blushed a new deep crimson and glared at her mother, who grinned and winked at her.

"Mom," she muttered annoyed, causing Susan to snicker a bit.

"I do hope I won't get seasick," Dean said, causing Cornelia to snicker, knowing her professor wasn't afraid of getting sick of the sea, but about the lovey-dovey behaviour of his step-daughter.

Will, too, noticed it and redirected her glare at him, while Susan went to stand behind him with an innocent smile. She pointed threateningly at him, her brow raised and her eyes reduced to slits as her finger moved from him to her mother and back.

"You two better not ruin my weekend," she told them.

Susan rolled her eyes and just grinned at her daughter. Cornelia rolled her eyes, believing she'd seen enough of the family quarrel and took her friend's shoulders, steering her back to her bed.

"Come on. Let's prepare your luggage and give your parents some privacy," she said, a snicker still audible in her voice.

Will rolled her eyes as the blonde expertly steered her through the mess in her bedroom. Will walked out of her hands and let herself fall upon her bed, a happy sigh escaping her lips as her thoughts started to drift away to the weekend in front of her. Cornelia saw her smile and rolled her eyes a bit, but she still grinned understandingly. After all, she and Matt hadn't seen each other a lot and even among the girls they'd started to wonder if their relationship would last. So a cruise where they would see each other for a full weekend should be enough to repair any breaks in their relationship.

Or, that was what the others thought. Cornelia had held herself on the background, for her expert eyes had noticed something else. Yet, as it seemed to be one-sided, she decided it was nothing and shook it from her mind as her friend had once again an obvious thought bubble about her weekend.

"Can you believe it Corny?" Will asked, blissfully unaware of Cornelia's eye twitching to the nickname. "Lately, Matt and I haven't had the chance to be together. And now... Finally..."

"You will ride on the wave of love," Cornelia finished with a grin, finding it hard to imagine that she'd once been so wavy and vague when it came to love. "You're happy, aren't you?"

A happy sigh left her friend's lips, bringing a smile to her own face. Will seldom smiled as of late, mostly due Matt and it was nice to see her red haired friend still knew how to do it.

"Very," Will sighed contently, staring dreamily at her ceiling.

Cornelia grinned, realizing Will would no longer lift a finger to pack her suitcase and decided to do it for her. Though she did enjoy seeing her friend fly into a panic when she realized she had little to no time to pack, but she just didn't want to pop the bubble. So she rummaged through the clothing littering the room.

"I'm also excited," she said, trying to keep the conversation up. "I mean, thanks to your mom, I'll have two days of sauna and beauty treatments for free!"

A giggle came from the bed and Cornelia shook her head with a grin, unsure if Will had laughed at what she'd said or at her fantasy. She proceeded to pack, but as she was almost finished she found an ugly blue dress in the contents of the suitcase and pulled it out, before throwing it on the ground. That thing shouldn't be packed but burnt, she thought in disdain. Perhaps another of Collins's purchases.

"All done!" she said, closing the suitcase with a bang, which caused Will to sit up straight, her eyes still twinkling with happiness. "Oh, shouldn't Matt be here already? We're leaving in an hour."

It was because of Will's dreaming and the lack of the young man that Cornelia thought of it. Matt was never late, a trait she sometimes found to be very annoying when he would lecture them.

"You're right!"

Will had jumped up, the twinkle disappearing for a wave of concern as she sought for her phone. Once she found it, Cornelia glanced over her shoulder and saw she'd already messaged him multiple times, without a reply. Will bit her lip as she stared at the screen, her right thumb moving swiftly over the touch screen as yet another message appeared.

"I just wish he replied," she said.

**...**

The penetrating scent of old fat, chemical meat and the overall odour of a typical fast-food restaurant hang around and made Matt Olsen a bit sick. He'd been here ever since eight o'clock and he now wished he hadn't eaten his breakfast. Yet he shouldn't complain. He knew what he was getting himself into when he applied for a job at the Heatherburger.

The sound of the fat that sometimes splashed up and the shouts of his colleagues while mindless music droned on from the speakers above him had dulled his senses, yet his eyes were always focussed on the small black device at the rim of the table. His phone had been going off nonstop and it only increased his feeling of guilt, knowing it could only be one person who would text him so much today.

A new sigh escaped him when he read the last text. Will had texted him to ask where he was, because he was running late. The worst thing of all was that he knew he was. It was seldom Matthew Olsen regretted something, but now he truly regretted that he had forgotten he was supposed to go on a cruise with his girlfriend. Or better said, he'd forgotten about it when he planned the trail-day at the Heatherburger. And then he'd forgotten about the trial-day until this very morning, when his alarm went off at an ungodly hour.  
He sighed as he looked at his phone's screen. He could almost read Will's concern in it and slumped. He had no money left to text her back, which would make her more frantic. She sometimes looked like nothing could phase her, but Matt knew Will was easily put on edge and he disliked doing that to his girlfriend.

"Olsen, it's not break time yet!"

A gruff voice roared over the usual chatter and noise of the kitchen and Matt looked up to see the 'chef' and boss of the Heatherburger approach him. The man's large belly wobbled behind his big apron as his beady eyes looked accusingly at his phone. His large black moustache rustled in slight annoyance as Matt quickly packed the phone away. The man proceeded to smile good-heartedly at him, while his large, meat like hands rested on his hips.

"Our burgers are the best in Heatherfield because...," he rumbled.

"We care for them ever moment, boss!" Matt replied hastily as he returned to the burgers.

It was the motto of the restaurant and if it weren't for the fact that it hang up throughout the restaurant or that his boss kept repeating the sentence like it was the only thing he could say, Matt wouldn't have known it.  
The boss smiled at him and nodded, gesturing him back to his burgers.

"Good!" he grumbled satisfied. "Now... Eight vegan burgers, seven triple cheese burgers and eleven bacon burgers! If you want this job, work hard boy!"

Matt sighed, only reminding himself he really, really needed the money or else he would have told his boss otherwise. He really wished he could be with Will instead of in this smelly, slimy and probably unhealthy building they called a restaurant.

He flipped another burger when his phone started to ring. His right hand moved to his pocket, ready to take it out when his boss once again grumbled at him.

"No distractions Olsen! Making burgers is an art!" he rumbled proudly.

Matt sighed, leaving his phone ring while he rushed to finish the order. He was a mess, something Will had pointed out to him a few days earlier. He could remember how excited she'd been when the cruise was closing in and now this. Yet he steeled himself, focussing completely on the task at hand. He was sure Will would wait for him and his shift was almost at an end. He would make it. He would.

With that conviction did he wrestle himself through the orders, some even ridiculous for the time of the day. He kept reminding himself that his shift would be over in an hour. Just a measly hour but as the burgers seemed to pile up, even he started to wonder how long an hour really was. All the while his phone kept ringing and vibrating.

The amount of work was amazing and as his shift was almost at an end, Matt started to feel drowsy. He hadn't worked that hard in a long time and if it weren't for his phone ringing once again, he would have fallen asleep where he stood. Yet now he reached for it, believing to be done with his work, when his boss reappeared.

"Not yet, Olsen," he grumbled with a small smirk. "You've still got 2 minutes on the clock and those thirty triple cucumber burgers aren't making themselves!"

A sigh of defeat escaped his lips as he did as he was told. Only instead of the 2 minutes he had left, he worked for a full nine minutes to finish them, silently glad his colleagues helped him out. As he left he had to run back twice, due to him forgetting both his pay as well as his apron. He then rushed home, praying he would still be in time. Only when he was home, he cursed himself that he hadn't packed it already and as he rushed to pack it all, he tried to call Will, telling her he wouldn't leave her. But the only reply he got was a female robotic voice who told him he didn't have the money to make a call.

So he decided he should just hope for the best and rushed, with his suitcase only half closed, to the bus stop in time to catch his bus. But he couldn't sit back, believing he would make it. He just knew he wouldn't and even pushed the driver to go faster, who only replied angrily at him that he should shut up. He was in a bus and not a taxi.

But as the bus finally arrived at his stop, he jumped off, taking a sprint to Will's house. He would make it, he told himself. He could make it! He stood in front of the large building and he took a breath, muttering that he was there when his phone rang. Almost relieved he answered, knowing it to be Will, and started his apology.

"Will! Finally!" he breathed. "I'm so, so sorry! I forgot I had a trial-day for that part time job today! But I'm in front of your house, with my luggage!"

"Don't bother Matt, it's too late."

His heart fell and his eyes widened. Will sounded so distraught and he grimaced. He disliked making her sad and he looked around, believing to see her somewhere.

"What? Have we missed the ship?"

The words that followed made him slam his hand into the wall of the building, cursing his luck.

"No. You missed it. You've ruined everything."

"Damn it!"

**...**

Once the cruise ship took off, Cornelia couldn't hold her excitement. It was true that she would have preferred a resort on the main land, but she was glad she had gone along with Will's family. This cruise had everything she could wish for and she could definitely use the time away. So when they left the land behind them, Cornelia had been the one to check them in and find their room. Her suitcases were still closed and laying on her bed and when she entered the main bedroom of Will's parents, she found professor Collins already sleeping soundly with William in his arms. She shook her head with a small grin, enjoying to see that father and son resembled each other so much. Her eyes then proceeded to wander, hoping to see Will finally dropping her phone and unpacking, but she was met with a very excited Susan Collins, who held a brochure in her hands and a smile on her face.

"Cornelia, look at this!" she crowed in delight sitting down on a chair and gesturing for Cornelia to sit with her.

Cornelia did as she was asked and almost squealed in delight when she realized that the brochure was a map of the ship.

"This is simply fantastic," Susan exclaimed. "There's a sauna on the third deck!"

"And an ice rink on the sixth!" Cornelia exclaimed with the same enthusiasm.

"Oh, look here, Cornelia," Susan said, pointing at a different place on the map. "On the first deck..."

Cornelia followed the woman's finger and gasped in surprise.

"No way! A famous boutique with half the original prices? I can't believe it!" she said before looking at Susan.

There were times she couldn't really understand how Will was related to this woman. Susan Collins obviously didn't share Will's interests, or at least not many of them. She was a woman who worked with her agenda besides her and would always know who should be where at what time. Whereas it would be a miracle to find Will on time for anything. However, Cornelia did see a striking resemblance in them when they were taking control of the situation. Both remained calm and collected, while you could see a chaos erupting behind their eyes. But now, as Susan was cooing over the clothing shops Will wouldn't be that interested in, Cornelia could only smile in wonder. That mother and child could be so similar and different at the same time.

"This is the best weekend of the year, Mrs Collins!" she said with a big grin.

"Don't mention it," Susan replied kindly. "I'll get the credit card."

Cornelia got up, already getting excited by the prospect of losing herself for the rest of the day between the racks of the boutique while Susan sought her purse.

"Wake up, Dean and I'll get you a real sweater!" Susan semi-yelled, waking the slumbering history professor.

William woke as well and immediately seemed to be energized, a nasty trait he seemed to have picked up from Will, Cornelia thought as she watched the young boy bounce in his father's arms.

"I want ice cream!" he cooed and Cornelia grinned, silently amazed that the young child could already express himself so well.

She saw Susan grin and pinch the young boy's cheeks as Dean Collins finally started to progress what was happening.

"I...I... – Uwaaaaa – I don't need any sw-sw-sweaaaters," he yawned loudly as he got up. "I have the neeeeew oonneees... In my luggage."

Susan smiled at him before winking at Cornelia, who tried her best to hide her smirk. It just so happened that Susan had smuggled the sweaters out of the luggage and had asked Cornelia to throw them with the rags, something Cornelia gladly did. The two women grinned at each other before Susan turned to her husband.

"Ah, a few more wouldn't hurt," she said with a wink as Cornelia snorted.

With that the two left, but as the door closed Cornelia could swear she heard Dean mutter about women and clothing. She almost regretted not staying long enough to see the look on his face when he found that his sweaters – if one was allowed to call those things that – weren't in his suitcase. She smiled at the thought of it as she walked in silence with Susan to the main deck.

"Do you think Will is coming with us?"

Cornelia looked from the corners of her eyes to Susan, who looked somewhat distraught. Cornelia couldn't look at her and looked straight ahead, thinking about her redheaded friend. The moment they boarded, Will had been talking with Matt over the phone. She'd been distraught when they arrived and was close to tears the moment Matt answered his phone. Even from the small snippets that Cornelia had heard she had figured that Matt had shown his none-existing skill in planning and he'd chosen the worst possible moment to show it off.

Cornelia had tried to guide Will into her room, but as the redhead was too absorbed in her conversation to notice anyone else, Cornelia had hoped she would calm down and appear on her own. No such luck.

"I don't think so, Mrs. Collins," Cornelia finally replied a bit concerned. "She's been fighting with Matt over the phone ever since we left."

As to prove her statement, the voice of one angry teenager was carried over the noise of the clashing waves. They arrived on deck, immediately feeling a sharp, cold wind and their eyes were quickly drawn to a frail body of girl who was yelling loud enough to entertain half of the ship with her teenage drama. She jumped up and down in her place, yelling into the phone and Cornelia had to hide her slight embarrassment as several bystanders looked at Will. Her eyes quickly went to Susan and she could see her think. Was it wise to interrupt Will now or would that only worsen the situation?

"Stay with her, Cornelia, okay? I'll talk to her after the storm," Susan finally said and Cornelia sighed inwardly. She knew this was perhaps the best idea, because Will would probably turn her anger on her mother if she were to stop the conversation and Cornelia knew she would be safer. This did mean that the boutique had to wait, but she nodded.

"I can be here for her," She said, getting a grateful smile from Susan. Cornelia turned to Will, who was now glaring at her phone. "But cheering her up will be a problem."

**...**

Will couldn't believe it. They'd planned this for months and Matt just had to go and ruin it. Just like he'd been ruining everything they'd planned as of late. She'd thought he had wanted to do this with her, but now she was honestly wondering if he even still liked her.

"We've been like this for months, Matt!" she growled through the phone.

"Like what?"

She huffed angrily, only shortly noticing her hair sparking. She looked away and clenched her phone before taking another deep breath. He couldn't mean this. He knew just like she did that they barely saw each other.

"You always have something more important to do!" she yelled accusingly at him.

"Look who's talking, miss great Kandrakarian Guardian!"

Will fumed. Like she ever wanted to become a Guardian! He knew she would become one and he had his orders not to associate with her, so it's not her fault that her duty called her away. He knew what he was getting himself into, unlike her. Matt always disappeared and only sometimes gave her a flimsy excuse.

"With missions and magic school, you never have a minute left for me!"

Oh, that was rich! He was a great supporter of that magic school! And, seeing as lately there hadn't been any real missions, the Kami-ladies didn't count seeing as they weren't more than a one-day threat, it hadn't been her fault. She had the time, but he didn't want to.

"There's no magic involved this time!" she hissed angrily as she leant over the rim of the ship, hoping no one would hear her.

No one did except for a surprised seagull, who flapped away quickly as Will bit her lip. There had been a few thoughts haunting her lately and slowly, these hidden fears started to form words on her lips.

"I feel like I'm not being loved enough!" she yelled out. She wanted to whisper them, but her anger with him missing the boat and accusing her of being the reason they were so seldom together made her yell the forbidden words.

"Me neither actually!"

For a moment Will's heart stopped as tears started to form. She hadn't expected to hear that from him. Surely they had some bad times, but she'd always showed him love. Why was he being so cruel? It was his fault to begin with.

"Oh really?" she hissed at him. "But you should be here! It's cold and you should be next to me and..."

She was interrupted by the persisting tooting of her phone, indicating that the conversation had ended. Had Matt ended the call to stop hearing her? Did her money run out? She wiped her tears away and looked at her phone, only to have panic settle in her heart.

"It can't be..." she muttered as she looked blankly at her phone.

There, in the upper right corner, the symbol of connectivity flashed. Instead of the regular bars, it showed a circle with a diagonal bar in it, indicating that she no longer had any signal to continue her feud with Matt. The meaning slowly seeped into her brain, her phone silently whispering its apologies.

"NOOOOOOO!" she yelled out, shaking her phone wildly.

"No. No. No. No. No. No. No," she chanted again, this time sparking her powers and trying to force some extra range.

But the symbol remained the same and she cursed loudly when suddenly a warmth of a hand took place upon her shoulder. She immediately pulled them to her ears, only now remembering she wasn't the only one on the ship. She turned her head, finding a concerned looking Cornelia. Her shoulders unclenched and she gave her an awkward smile, before motioning to her phone.

"I don't think you've got signal?" she asked.

Cornelia shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips.

"We're in the middle of the ocean. What do you think?" she returned and Will grumbled.

"What's the use of being the Guardian of Energy when you can't use it anyway?" she grumbled.

"Hey, at least you can calm down now, right?"

Will shot her friend a glare. She didn't need to calm down. She only needed to make it clear to Matt that he was in the wrong and that he would need to feel sorry. But to do that she needed signal. And now that her powers were out of the question, Will contemplated to transform and fly back. The idea was quickly shaken from her mind as she reminded herself that there were too many people on board who could see her. But how else could she get back?

Lights flickered around her and she could see Cornelia's brow furrow, but Will couldn't be bothered by her wayward powers. She had an idea and immediately she turned around, sprinting towards where she knew would be the captain's quarters.

"Will wait! Where are you going?" Cornelia yelled after her and Will just knew she was following her.

"Just one final attempt to get my signal back," she muttered.

As the captain's quarters came into view, Will found her passage blocked by the plants that decorated the ship. She halted and immediately turned to Cornelia, who halted as well as she took a few deep breaths.

"What are you doing?" she hissed.

Cornelia, who had regained her breath and composure, folded her arms and looked critically at Will. Will felt her grip on the phone increase and she pushed her lower lip out, while sending the blonde a glare.

"Other than stopping you from making a fool out of yourself?" Cornelia replied. "Will, think! You can't ask the captain to turn around just so you can argue with your boyfriend!"

"First of all, you don't know that!" Will bellowed. "And secondly, what made you think you could use your powers to make that clear?"

Cornelia swept her hair behind her ear and raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, you're one to talk. Your hair has been sparking for some time now and I don't believe these clouds are a coincidence."

Will shifted her eyes to the heavens. The sky had been clear when they left, but now ominous clouds had started to form and the wind had picked up as well. Will huffed and looked away. Those clouds weren't necessarily her fault. They were at sea and these things tended to happen there. Besides, Cornelia didn't seem to get the problem.

"Cornelia, you should know I need to settle this with Matt. Now," she said, taking a new step to the captain's quarters.

"I didn't join you on a cruise to hear you argue with him for the full weekend," Cornelia countered as she too took a step forward.

"That's why you need to help me turn the ship around!" she said, grabbing Cornelia's shoulders and shaking her slightly.

Cornelia freed herself and as she dusted herself off, she raised an eyebrow at Will.

"Are you serious?" she asked disdainfully. "What shall I tell them? Man overboard?"

Will perked up and looked with big eyes at Cornelia.

"Yes! Will that work?" she asked.

Her shoulders fell when Cornelia rolled her eyes and clacked her tongue.  
"I'm not going to lie to them to make them turn around and they certainly won't turn around for your phone call."

Will glared at Cornelia for a few seconds before she threw her arms over her chest in a sardonic huff.

"It won't be a lie if I push you off the boat," she muttered.

"Excuse me?" Cornelia asked, her eyes wide.

Will looked at her friend for a few more seconds, her stubbornness shining proudly in her composure. Cornelia just didn't realize how important this was for her and she sparked ominously when Cornelia did an attempt to take her along. Unfortunately for Will, the clouds above her had finally become heavy enough to start the downpour the dark grey clouds had promised and with a lot of reluctance did she follow Cornelia back to their room as heavy rain pellets shot at the deck.

**...**

His stormy grey eyes followed the mob of red hair as she fled from the deck into the hallways that lead to the passenger rooms. He couldn't believe his luck. He'd never dreamt of meeting her here. He'd only chosen this job as an opportunity to receive a little more money, something Earthlings seemed to value a lot. To think he had a chance to talk to her without her complete band of bodyguards was indeed a chance in a lifetime. Only the blonde Earth Guardian accompanied her, for all he'd seen and as he focussed on the elemental energies on board, he was quite sure only the Guardian Leader and the Earth Guardian were here. This could perhaps be his chance to finally convince them he was not the evil they held him to be.

"Nash! Boy, you aren't paid to stand around dreaming! Continue with setting the table for tonight's welcoming dinner!"

Nashter turned around, facing his superior.

"Yes sir!" he said, refraining himself just in time from saluting.

The man continued and Nashter looked outside one more time, only seeing how heavy rain was pouring down. A storm called here by her. A small grin formed on his face, feeling an eagerness to tame this storm.

**...**

"Oracle, her energies are overflowing again."

Kandor frowned as he looked down the Viewing Pool, seeing how the Guardian Leader and the Earth Guardian retreated to their room, while Nashter was busy setting the tables and a storm was raging on. Yet his gaze was turned upwards as he heard the Oracle chuckle. He frowned as a playful glimmer shined in her eyes and an amused smile played on her lips.

"Don't worry Kandor. Those capable of handling her are there as well."

This made Kandor look at the young Runic who claimed to be a fugitive. The Oracle gave him a second chance, a dangerous one Kandor believed. The only reason the Oracle had even allowed it was because she'd sensed a light within him. A chance to return to the path of righteousness. And only because he seemed to be attracted to the Guardian Leader. It was something that worried Kandor more than he wanted to. He'd grown to like the child. She was young, but possessed a wisdom far beyond her age and he would be honoured to fight alongside her if time would come. But he'd heard rumours from the Water Guardian that she had dreamt of the Runic. Dreaming about people was a recurrent occurrence on Earth, but people usually forgot about them. For Will to remember it worried him. Could it be that Nashter had used his magic to enter her dreams? Because, for all he knew the Runic was still an enemy. What were his true intentions. Was it power, or was the Oracle right and did he indeed fall in love with the Guardian Leader?

"Even so. People could get hurt," he grumbled in his beard.

He knew Yan Lin knew about his dislike of the Runic and he heard her chuckle again when her hand rested on his arm. He looked at her as she smiled reassuringly at him. Her aura was different than that of Himerish. Whereas Himerish's aura made you calm, Yan Lin's aura reassured you. And so he felt himself calm down and naturally trust the woman.

"Trust me. Things will work out in the end."

**...**

Once Will was inside her room did the realization of no longer being able to contact Matt sink in and a depression kicked in. She sat on her bed, glaring at the small black device that now lay lifelessly on her bed in front of her feet. It wasn't the fault of the phone, but it didn't mean it wouldn't be a target for her frustration. One of her fingers was pointed at her phone and a spark shot at it, shooting the helpless phone across the room.

"It's not the fault of your phone."

"Do you want to replace it?" Will huffed darkly as she buried her face again in her arms.

Cornelia didn't reply and Will could feel her sit down on her bed. The energy around Cornelia felt a bit heavy, as if she felt a little uncomfortable as well as concerned and it made Will's heart sink even further. She was not only miserable, but she was stealing her friend's fun weekend as well with her sorrow. As if the weather outside wasn't enough to dampen the mood, with the heavy raindrops thumping against the glass.

"Come on. Let's try out that big pool with the slide on the fourth deck," Cornelia pushed on.

Will didn't want to. She didn't need to go. For all she cared, her weekend could be spent here. In the confines of the room and her self-pitying. And so the silence continued, with only the sombre thumping of the rain and the soft creaking of the ship when a few waves clashed against it.

"You asked for it."

Will looked up at Cornelia, her sight shortly blinded by the lights of the room. When she adjusted she saw her with her eyes closed and heard her voice ring through her head, asking the aid of their fellow Guardians. Will grumbled softly over Cornelia's interference as the blonde explained the situation.

"_You'll see, everything will be back to normal when you return. It's just a bad moment!"_ Taranee's voice rang in return.

Will nodded unconsciously. It wasn't like she and Matt never had an argument before. But then again, they'd never argued like this and then refrained to see each other for some time.

"_Yeah! You should enjoy your holiday! You needed the time-out anyway. Besides, it's only two days. He won't die in the mean time."_

Will snorted at Hay Lin's remark, but had to admit she was right. She had been stressed the last few days and though she'd wanted to relax with Matt, she could probably do it without him as well, right?

"_And you're not going to leave all the fun to Corny, right?"_

Will shot a shy grin at Cornelia, who was now fuming and arguing telepathically with Irma about the use of the nickname. But Irma was right, she couldn't let her weekend be taken away by just one argument with Matt. And she also couldn't deny Cornelia her fun by having her try and cheer her up.  
Cornelia, who'd just ended her argument with Irma, smiled at her. Her eyes shone with concern and Will smiled in return, hoping to dispel any worries that lingered within her.

"Did you hear that?" Cornelia said.

"Your argument with Irma? Who didn't?" Will replied.

Cornelia rolled her eyes and Will snickered when she saw a soft shade of red appear on Cornelia's delicate cheeks.

"I meant the other thing," Cornelia said through gritted teeth.

Will looked away, a hand finding a stray lock of hair and twirling it.

"Yes."

Cornelia cupped her face in her hands and forced Will to look at her. Will huffed a bit to see Cornelia look so serious at her, but in the end she smiled.

"That's what I wanted to see," Cornelia said. "Let's have some fun."

"I'll try," Was Will's reply, while also sending a thank you to the others for their help.

But try was miles away from succeeding and Will found no joy in the activities Cornelia pulled her into. When her mother and Cornelia finally managed to get into the boutique, Will had been leaning against the wall. Her eyes were constantly roaming back to her phone, which had survived her initial attack. She couldn't help but hope that some miracle happened that gave her enough signal to call Matt. Because with every passing minute, she felt worse and worse. Her last words to him weren't meant, or were they?  
She mulled over her words as she looked aimlessly over the pool. Cornelia had noticed shopping wasn't working and Will didn't have the heart to tell her that the pool wasn't working either. Normally the chlorinated body of water could wash her worries away, but now she could only stare at it, wondering if she'd truly meant her words she'd yelled at Matt. When she'd said it, she was sure of herself. It had been what she'd been feeling the past months and she'd hoped it was wrong. But Matt hadn't denied it, he even confirmed her thoughts. Perhaps it was better to just not be together anymore?

Will sighed loudly, now watching how her mother attempted to knock down the bowling pins of the bowling alley on deck two. Mini golfing had been their first option, if it weren't for the storm outside, but Will felt like she could use the heavy rain right now. She didn't expect an answer to fall from the skies, but at least there she wouldn't dampen anyone's mood. She'd seen Cornelia look and even felt her pry into her mind a few times. Will had blocked her out and tried to go along with the activity, but it felt more like torture to her. Everything started to remind her of Matt and her heart kept beating painfully by the idea of breaking up. Yet there were moments she truly thought it would be for the best. Those times were accompanied by tears and her biting her lip. Why did it have to end like this? She'd just hoped for a calm weekend with Matt and now she only had troubles and stress because of him.

It was Matt's fault she couldn't enjoy her weekend. He just had to go and ruin something they'd planned for so long.

Those thoughts sometimes took place among her frights and self-pitying. When they came, thunder roared outside and her phone sparked unnecessarily. If it weren't for Cornelia, who then came to her with a calming smile or a reassuring hug, worse things would have happened, Will was sure of it. It brought a wry smile to her lips, believing it would be Matt's fault if the cruise ship would sink due to the storm. She would almost think the ship was cursed, first by Matt missing the boat and now by the storm.

Will looked back, seeing her family and Cornelia preparing for the welcoming dinner. She'd been ready for the past few hours, having left the bowling fun early to mull a little longer. Now she wore her blue evening dress her mother had bought at the boutique, with a small black choker necklace and, because it was too cold for just the dress, she wore stockings underneath it.  
She saw her mother trying to dress her little brother, who 'magically' managed to get out of his clothing every time their mother wasn't watching. Dean was still in the bathroom and by the sound of it, he'd probably cut himself by shaving. Cornelia was in their room and Will knew it would take some time for the blonde to find the correct outfit. But no one would notice her leave.

Her hand enclosed over the cold metal of the door handle and with a quick movement, she grabbed her raincoat and opened and closed the door, leaving her family for the cold outdoors. The wind blew strongly and the rain even made it into the corridors, mixing with the sea water that had managed to spill the hallways. Somewhere in the distance thunder rumbled and the ship shook as a new wave crashed into it. But, amidst the elemental chaos, Will found a strange tranquillity. As she walked to the front of the ship, the merciless rain tackling her, she became calmer. As if her inner turmoil was displayed before her and while she leaned against the railing of the ship, her eyes wandered the vast endlessness of the ocean. Lightning crashed into the waters some miles away, but Will could still feel the power coming from the impact and watched how a wave grew and rushed to their ship. As it crashed, she held herself steady and muttered angrily as sea water found its way into her mouth.

Deciding to turn her back to the rowdy sea, she took out her phone. Once again the lack of bars showed up and Will blew her wet hair angrily out of her face. Not even now, with a storm that amplified her powers, did she have a signal. Her eyes flew up to the large mast of the cruise, only temporarily wondering if she should climb it and try to use it as an antenna. She shook her head and almost laughed at how ridiculous that idea sounded in her mind. Even if it worked, chances were she would destroy the ship. And she was fairly sure Cornelia would not be happy if she did. Her humour vanished once again as she looked back at her phone. Was Matt trying to call her right now, or did he think she just ended the call? Would he be angry with her? He didn't have the right to be so.

She pushed her lip out and sourly looked at the slowly dying screen of her phone. A shiver ran over her spine and she clamped her arms in an attempt to warm. Matt was supposed to do that, he should be here, warming her. He shouldn't have missed the stupid boat...

"Why the long face Vandom?"

Her eyes widened once the voice was registered in her mind. She looked up, lightning sparking in her hair and her posture already going into a defensive stance as her dark brown eyes fell upon the speaker. His blonde hair was standing every way but the good one as it swept upon the strong wind and it dripped from the rain that was still harassing them. He wore a stark blue raincoat, the ones they handed out the moment the storm began, and his stormy grey eyes lit up as her own made contact with his.

She frowned and looked away, crossing her arms with a dark huff while still keeping one eye on him, in case he tried something funny.

"You know, it's custom on many planets to reply when spoken to."

Her lips pursed and her brow furrowed, as her depression slowly made place for annoyance and suspicion. What was the Runic doing here anyway? Or was it a clever trap of him to attack her while she was walloping in her teenage drama? If he thought it would be that easy, he would be nastily surprised and she secretly hoped he would attack her instead of speaking so lightly with her.

"I don't believe it's a custom on many planets for enemies to speak to one another," she grumbled, finally pointing her face away.

"... Suit yourself."

Will bit her lip as she felt how his energy shifted besides her. She was sure he was now also leaning against the bar and she was wondering if walking away would give him the idea she didn't want to see him, or if it would make her look weak and scared. Because she'd learnt to never turn her back to her enemy.

"And here I thought you were the diplomatic one."

"I am the-!"

Will whirled around, furious to hear him even utter his doubts about her. It was only when she stared into his daring grey eyes that she realized it had been a ruse to get her to talk to him. Her eyes, now squinted together into a foul glare, focussed on his and she saw a small grin play on his lips. She huffed and crossed her arms, not planning to show him he got to her.

"So I suppose you want to hear me compliment you on such a clever trap, huh?"

She watched as his eyes widened, but she didn't read surprise in them. Confusion clouded his features and Will rose a delicate eyebrow, not believing his acting. Wasn't it him who had used her words before leaving them the first time? To beat your enemy, you need to know him. And he was doing a good job at it, infiltrating her school and now her vacation as well.

An annoyed sigh left his lips as a hand scratched the back of his head, the water seeping into his raincoat.

"I gave up on that life, remember?"

"Of course."

He read her sarcasm but he didn't seem to be eager to take the bait and start an argument with her. It annoyed her a bit and a new spark came from her hair. Only this time Nashter reacted unexpectedly. He reached out for her and Will took a step back, her arms already up for a possible defence and counter. But it all fell when she noticed how he caught the spark that had leapt from her hair. His eyes were completely focussed on it and Will thought she saw an amazed sparkle in his eyes as a smile played on his lips. Her own eyes slowly went to the spark, which she hadn't paid any attention to beforehand. The spark glowed brightly in his hands and as he flicked it out towards the open sea, Will felt her gaze follow it until it died out. Slowly her eyes turned back on him and her scowl deepened. Why was he looking so content and reassured? What scheme did he have up his sleeve?

**...**

Cornelia cursed softly as she gathered her raincoat and umbrella again. She had been careless. She should have been more attending. Will had been down and she needed cheering up, but Cornelia knew she had pulled Will along to activities she wanted to do, aside from the pool, which had been indeed an attempt to cheer Will up. And now she'd let her out of her sight. She should've asked her to help her with her outfit, which was now getting ruined by the unforgiving rain she noted dully.  
But it was her own fault, she supposed. If she'd kept an eye on Will, the redhead would still be with them and making her way to the dining room instead of roaming around on the ship. Now Cornelia could go and find her, but she honestly had no idea where to start. She'd been at the pool with a faint hope of finding her friend there, but was disappointed to find the waters empty. The other places they'd been earlier today were also void of Will's presence and Cornelia was actually starting to fear that she'd jumped into the ocean to swim back to get some signal. If the last thing indeed happened, Will had better drowned, because Cornelia would kill her if she returned.

She shook her head, trying to stay positive. Will might have been distraught, but she was not that desperate, right?

With a dark sigh did she take another turn, the plants faintly whispering her that they'd indeed seen her depressed friend today and Cornelia hoped they'd seen her recently. Her grip fastened around the umbrella when a new gale of wind tried to knock it out of her hands. She grimaced and wished Hay Lin were here to calm the storm, but now she had to steady herself and press on. A shiver ran over her spine as the cold seawater seeped into her new shoes and she muttered to herself that, even though it was for Will's sake, Will should be damned happy with her.

A flash of lightning, too close for her taste, shot down. It was not more than ten feet away from the rim of the ship and Cornelia felt how her heart jumped into her throat. Her hands shivered and she stared incredulously at the flash, before realizing it was illuminating two individuals standing at the rim. She frowned, forgetting her umbrella was now close to being a conductor and started to approach the two. Who in their right minds would be outside in this weather?

"What are you really doing here, Runic?"

Cornelia's grip tightened, knowing the voice who spoke so spiteful. The rain was still pretty much a curtain for her, but she could make out the frail frame of a girl and a bigger frame of a boy. It didn't take her long to realize it was Will, but what surprised her was the fact Nashter was there as well. Was this a trap for the Guardians? If it were, it wasn't a good one, seeing as he only had two of the five, unless it was his intention to split them up.  
She saw Nashter shrug and Cornelia took a few steps forward, hoping to hear more of their conversation, which was dampened by the howling wind and the crackling thunder.

"I'm just working here, _Guardian_. I have to find a way to make money, seeing that magic is '_apparently_' out of the question."

Cornelia frowned at the way he spoke. He was calm and smug. He pointed at the storm above them when he spoke of his lack of using magic and Cornelia wondered. Was he innocent? And was this storm perhaps not just a natural disaster? For a moment it occurred to Cornelia that the storm had only begun the moment Will had fallen into a depression, but she frowned at the idea. They were indeed strong, but for Will to call upon a storm with just her emotions seemed a bit overkill to her. They were better trained than that.

She saw Will huff and Cornelia found her gaze following a spark that leapt off her hair. Nashter moved quickly to catch it, without Will reacting. Did she know he would do that or was she too stunned by his speed?

"Stop that!" Will growled and Cornelia watched how she slapped the hand, which held the spark, away.

The moment the spark died out, a new flash of lightning appeared. Cornelia shrunk away and held her umbrella closely, sincerely hoping it would not hit her. But, as the light faded away and the loud and dark rumble of the thunder shook her very core, she heard a laughter coming from Nashter. Slowly did she pry her eyes open and found him placing a hand on Will's shoulder, which she shook off.

"A scowl fits you better than the long face you've been wearing all day," he told her.

"Well, with you here, I don't know what else to do, Runic," she scowled in return.

"Ain't it a bit sad for you to either scowl or mope while on vacation?" he then asked.

Cornelia raised an eyebrow, unsure what to make of it. His voice was different than before. First he'd been teasing and perhaps even antagonizing, but now he sounded a lot more tender. She watched as he rubbed through his hair, which was soaked by the water, and how a hand clasped around the iron bar of the railing.

"That's my decision, don't you think?" Will hissed at him.

She saw him nod and he let go of the railing as he stretched out.

"Fair enough," he told her. "Though I wonder if you can smile. Maybe we'll find out tomorrow."

With that he took off. Though, even before he'd taken more than three paces he halted and turned his head back to Will, who stood confused behind him.

"Also, while you're here. I recommend you to try the chicken. It's surprisingly edible."

Cornelia snorted, but took a few steps back as he approached her. She didn't want him to know she'd been listening in. A scowl formed on her face as he passed her, but she was surprised when his cloudy eyes found hers.

"Earth Guardian," he greeted with a nod, before walking on as if nothing had happened.

Cornelia watched him go and she was sure she saw him peek over his shoulder one more time, a satisfied grin on his face. Cornelia blinked a couple of times, for she was sure she knew that look on a man's visage. She'd seen it on both Caleb's and Peter's face when they saw her after a long time. She frowned. She already had a feeling Nashter saw something in Will, seeing how he always confronted her and argued with her whenever the two were together. It was as if they were magnets, attracting each other, but Cornelia also wondered if it hadn't just been her imagination. Will had never openly showed any interest in Nashter, just hostility while as she'd caught Nashter looking at her frequently in classes or just at school in general. Was he perhaps trying to get to Will personally as a mission to crush the Guardians... Or was it something more?

"You can come out Cornelia."

Cornelia blinked her daze away and saw Will approach her, her gaze set on murder and her hands in the pockets of her raincoat. Her dark brown eyes met hers and for just a short moment, the urge to look away befell her. But Cornelia frowned at the idea and looked stubbornly back. Will's eyes momentarily flashed before she pushed a pluck of hair out of her face.

"Nashter is here."

"I noticed."

"You heard him?"

"Yes."

"I don't like it."

Cornelia rolled her eyes.  
"Is there anything you liked the moment you set foot on this ship?"

A foul glare was turned her way, but it didn't scare her. Will was angry that Matt wasn't here and Nashter was. And that it had been Nashter who'd turned her attention away from Matt. An eyebrow rose as she watched Will mutter dark curses about Nashter and Cornelia realized that the alien boy might indeed be a way for Will to enjoy her weekend, or at least forget about her Matt troubles. It aggravated her slightly that the boy who barely knew her friend, could so easily occupy her mind but, she begrudgingly realized, he could be a way to save the weekend. That didn't take away that she wouldn't keep an eye out, but it was at least worth a try.

"Shall we go inside? Your parents are waiting and I'm getting hungry," she said, deciding to steer away from the current subject.

A single nod was enough for her to grasp Will's arm and pull her under the umbrella. Together they hurried out of the storm. They first returned to their cabin, where Will dried her hair and exchanged her shoes, before they made their way to the dining room. Susan and Dean had been concerned about them and were relieved when they finally arrived.

"I'd almost gone myself," Dean said as Will apologized. "If Cornelia hadn't been so adamant on finding you and if you hadn't returned in five minutes, I would have been calling for you through the speakers."

Cornelia smiled at the man, as Will blushed a slight shade of red. It was interesting to see her reaction on the fatherly behaviour of Collins, seeing as her friend didn't have much of a father figure throughout her years.

"I just needed to clear my head," she muttered.

Cornelia saw Susan smile, with a sad look in her eyes and she had a feeling the mother knew what was going on in her daughter's mind. Except for the fact that one of their enemies was apparently working on the boat.

The moment she thought it, she spotted him. He was wearing a purple waiter's tuxedo, just like the other men who waited the tables. She saw him look around and grin when he noticed them. A quick look at Will told her she'd seen him too, as she huffed and crossed her arms.

"Do you know him?"

Cornelia looked back at Susan, who was now eyeing Nashter critically. She saw the woman's eyebrows knit together as she studied the boy, who was now busy waiting a different table.

"Not necessarily," Will muttered.

"Oh, that's Nash. He's an exchange student," Dean informed. "He plays in the football team Will and Cornelia recently left."

"It was just a onetime occurrence, professor," Cornelia said with a smile. "To help Irma's dad build a team."

"Oh yes! Wasn't that the boy you hugged when you won the finals?"

Will tinted red and quickly grabbed for the menu. Cornelia held a hand in front of her mouth, where a smile was being formed by her lips. She saw Susan grin at her daughter, while Dean only raised an eyebrow, unsure if he should be concerned or not.

"Excuse me, but what would you like to order?"

Cornelia looked up, seeing that another waiter had appeared to take their order. She quickly glanced past the boy to see Nashter's reaction, but he had his back turned to them and thus made it impossible for her to gauge his reaction.

"I'd like the garlic shrimps, please," Susan said with a smile. "And some garlic bread beforehand."

"For me the Greek souflaki," Dean answered. "And a kiddie menu for the big boy here."

Cornelia grinned as William laughed loudly as his father ran his hand through his hair. Cornelia shook her head before turning to the waiter.

"I would like some calamari, if you please. Oh, and a coke," she said with a pleasant smile while handing the man her menu.

"I'd like a coke as well," Will added, while still staring at the menu.

The man nodded and scribbled down the orders, but remained as he watched Will search for a dish.

"Madam, and what would you like for dinner?" he asked carefully after a few minutes had passed.

Will took one more glance at the menu before a dark sigh left her lips. She closed it and handed it to the man.

"The chicken, please," she mumbled.

The man jotted the order down, collected the other menus and left. Cornelia looked with a raised eyebrow at Will, who saw her look and glared in return.

"Not. One. Word," she muttered under her breath.

Cornelia chuckled and shook her head. Will was really bad when it came to challenges and it seemed that Nashter knew it. She leaned a bit back in her chair as she watched Dean entertain William while Susan tried to strike up a conversation with Will, most likely about the events of today. She noticed how Will's gaze sometimes wandered to Nashter and from her spare looks into the room, she noticed him looking at their table a couple of times as well. Somehow she had the feeling this was going to be a very interesting weekend.

_**[A/N] End of part 1. Also, apologies for everyone who wanted to see a new chapter for "Howling for fortune". School was more than I thought it would be and this story was already finished and just laying around. A new chapter will come with the full moon.**_

_**Review and happy Halloween!**_


	2. Part 2

**Part 2**

"_You knew exactly what you had. You just never thought you would lose it."_

Heavy huffing and creaking and the sensation of energy rushing through the cables around her. In the semi-darkness one could just make out that a girl was sitting with the heavy machinery surrounding her, her knees hugged against her chest. Her chin rested on her knee caps and her blood red hair covering her closed eyes. The scent of the ocean was here even stronger and a deep breath gave way that the girl was still alive. For a short moment electricity crackled around the girl before it went to the surrounding mechanics. These reacted with a heavy groan.  
In reaction to the loud noise, eyelids shot up and dark brown looked tiredly at her grey surroundings. Her nose twitched and she slowly moved, her mouth opening to let a yawn escape. She blinked tiredly around her before some recognition settled in her eyes. A new yawn left her and she leaned back, against some of the machinery. Over the noises of her surroundings, she could still hear the movement of feet above her, or was it perhaps that she could feel the energies moving? She didn't know. She didn't really care.

"Duly noted. Iron does not sleep well," Will muttered as she sorely rubbed her butt and repositioned herself.

She blinked again and ruffled her hair. Last night had been dull and she hadn't been able to sleep at all. After dinner, which had been only slightly awkward with her mother questioning about both Matt and Nashter, while the latter had waited several other tables except theirs. They'd attended a ball to open the cruise. This was not what Will needed and left the festivities early, with Cornelia and William in tow. She had tried to let her friend stay there, but Cornelia didn't see the fun in it without her or Peter, so they'd played a few card games until her parents returned. William was already sleeping and when everyone readied themselves for bed, Will and Cornelia talked. Cornelia tried to cheer her up, but after their meeting with Nashter, Will wasn't paying attention. Her mind constantly switched from the alien boy on board to her boyfriend and back. Sometimes her thoughts regarding them were negative, while sometimes they were positive. She then continued to berate herself about her complaining about Matt and being happy Nashter was here.  
It was easy to say her mind kept her busy, which had the unfortunate result to keep her out of her sleep. And so, after at least an hour twisting and turning in her bed while listening to Cornelia's calm breathing, did she decide to leave the warm confines of her bed. She dressed herself again and left the room, hoping the storm outside could calm her like it did before. As the heavy rain came down on her and lightning crashed down in the distance, did she wonder if Nashter had been right. If she'd been the cause of the storm. It would explain the infallible likeness the storm had to her state of mind, but a strike of stubbornness told her he was lying. She was better trained than to let her emotions take control of her powers.

So she stayed out, brooding over the two men who were making her crazy, before finally the gale that blew down upon her wet body made her remember it was a cold November. The shivers had run over her spine and her hands had been shaking, but back then, she didn't want to return to the cabin. Instead her messed up senses had lead her to a heavy iron door, on which 'Restricted area. Authorized personnel only' was written. Ignoring the sign she had pushed the door open. It had creaked loudly, but the storm was burying any sounds and Will had found herself in the machine room. Though she had seen a Chinese man in overall laying near the exit, his mouth half open as he snored loudly, she had moved along. The further she walked into the room, the more she felt the energy that made the motor run and the calmer she became. The sound of the storm was stifled by the heavy machinery and a different tranquillity filled her. And somehow, around the heavy moaning and creaking of the machines, had she fallen asleep, her problems temporarily dispelled by the noise around her.

Her brown eyes slowly turned sad as her hand had dived into her pocket, her former troubles returning to the present. The phone screen brightened, showing the time as well as the infuriating 'no signal' sign. A dark sigh passed her lips as she let her phone disappear back into her pocket. Once again she pulled her knees to her chest and let her chin rest upon them. She wondered if her parents were already awake. She would probably get an earful once they found her again. She really wasn't helping to make this vacation relaxing.

"This is certainly unexpected."

Her shoulders stiffened and her eyes quickly narrowed. She would have glared a hole in the hull of the ship if she had the powers to do so, her body completely alert to what could happen with _him_ here in this confined space.

"You do know this is for authorized personnel only?"

His voice held a certain touch of humour in it, as if he thought she'd wandered here by accident. She scoffed and unclenched her shoulders, though she continued to avoid his gaze.

"Then what are _you_ doing here?" she sneered.

"I _am_ authorized personnel, Vandom."

She huffed and turned her gaze to him. Nashter was now just wearing a blue sweater and jeans, instead of the purple tuxedo he'd been wearing last night. Will figured he only worked at night, judging by the way he was dressed. He leaned against some other machines with a smug grin on his face, his grey eyes shining in the semi-darkness of the space.

"I _know_ that," she growled. "Though I would believe you would do something else on your free morning."

He chuckled before patting the iron machine he leaned on. Sparks danced around his fingers but died out when he saw her raised eyebrow. He shook his head and heaved himself upon the machine.

"I like the power that surges here. It's calming," he answered with a shrug. "Something you already noticed, I see."

She pushed her lower lip out and turned her head away. She didn't need his smugness this early in the morning. Or acknowledge that he was right. She pulled her knees a little closer and huffed. She felt her face becoming warmer and grimaced. What was wrong with her anyway, to be embarrassed by his calm demeanour.

"It's nice," she finally muttered, with a lot of reluctance.

She heard him chuckle and a new blush formed, before she berated herself again. He was just a stupid guy - her enemy to be exact - so he shouldn't be toying with her like this. But, a treacherous voice in the back of her mind whispered, she did like his unwavering attention.

"Your parents are looking for you."

Her head shot up and she looked at him. He waved her worry away with a small reassuring smile, one she had never seen upon his face.

"Don't worry. I told them I would send you to the dining room when I found you."

"And you knew I was here?"

The words had left her lips quicker than that she'd thought of them. She scowled, sure he used his magic to find her, but when he breathed a laugh and shook his head, did she raise an eyebrow.

"I had a hunch. Besides, miss Hale already said you weren't at the pool," he said as he scratched the back of his head.

"Oh," was all she could answer. A new blush crept up and Will made herself look to the ground, hoping her red hair would hide her embarrassing red face.

In the silence that followed, was she highly aware of Nashter. She'd peeked through the strands of cherry red hair, seeing him look at her in interest. It struck her as odd, for him to look like that. In the end, it was her fault that he was on the run, so she'd expected the same hostility from him as she was showing. Instead he only seemed to be trying to converse with her, which sometimes went more difficult due to their different beliefs. But he'd never been hostile. And even now, when they were alone, he didn't approach her anymore than necessary. What a strange boy.

"I've been thinking."

"Oh boy."

Will smirked, seeing Nashter glare at her over her interruption. It amused her how his neutral and smug features turned into a glare of annoyance whenever she crossed him. This time a small blush crept over his cheeks, unaware to himself, and Will finally made her smirk turn to a smug grin. This, however, had him grin as well and so her own grin quickly dilapidated.

"So the ice queen knows how to smile."

Her cheeks were again stained with red and she looked away as he chuckled. She pushed her lip out and crossed her arms. He sighed when he saw her look and leaned a bit forward on his knees, looking down on her.

"That smile suited you more," he then commented.

"You were thinking?" Will replied immediately, feeling a new blush creeping up. "I hope you didn't hurt yourself in the process."

For just a short moment did the corners of his mouth fall down, before he bit his lip. Will raised an eyebrow, terribly aware that the boy was showing the same trait as she did whenever she had to mention something she wasn't completely sure off.

"Well, what are the chances of us meeting here?" he finally said, his eyes pointedly avoiding hers. "I mean, neither of us planned to meet and yet..."

"I end up having rotten luck, so?"

His shoulders shot up and she even saw him bite the inner side of his cheeks. A shiver ran over her spine, becoming scared to notice the traits she showed as well. Her hands became a bit sweaty and she let her arms drop, while her hands rubbed her pants. Perhaps she should just go, because this wasn't going anywhere.

She moved, slowly letting her slide from the machine she'd been using as bed but looked up when she heard a heavy thump. Nashter, too had jumped off and looked at her with an intensity that made her blush. She looked away, cursing herself. She hadn't blushed this much in years and she hated to think it was because of him.

"I was just wondering," he finally said, grasping her attention. "You don't seem to be having a lot of fun and I know the ship. Perhaps I could give you a tour? My shift isn't until tonight, so…"

Her eyebrows raised as she looked at him. He looked at her, a small blush forming on his cheeks, but a stubbornness shined in his eyes. He was set on showing her the ship. She rubbed her arm, silently wondering what she should make of it. He was the enemy, but as he pointed out, this was just an unfortunate accident. And she could stay hostile towards him, but not only would he not reply with the same hostility, she would also ruin Cornelia's weekend and maybe even her parents'.

"Hanging with the enemy, huh?" she scoffed, deciding she didn't need him. "Yeah right."

She pushed passed him, intending to go to the dining room where her parents were waiting. Yet she halted when she heard him chuckle.

"Afraid of having some fun?"

She turned around abruptly and threw her darkest glare at him. He pocketed his hands and leaned against the machines, a mischievous sparkle twinkling in his stormy grey eyes and a smirk plastered on his face. Will balled her hands and pushed her lower lip out, sparking when he chuckled again.

"You know what?" she growled at him. "Fine! After breakfast you can show me _and Cornelia_ around."

With that she turned around and stomped away, not believing she actually said yes. But then again, he was being a prick, even suggesting she didn't want to have some fun. Granted, she had wanted to have some fun with Matt, but that didn't mean she couldn't have fun without him! That a Runic, mister Killjoy himself, would even dare to utter those words had riled her up enough to want to prove him wrong. A tired sigh left her lips when she realized that she had once again had let her anger got the better of her. That boy made her rush through her emotions in a higher rate than what was good for her.  
She pushed the door open, being welcomed by the storm. The rain hit her square in the face, only adding up to her annoyance. She decided it was perhaps better to take a shower first before meeting her family. It was still early, after all.

…

Cornelia couldn't believe it at first. Will had said it the moment she turned up for breakfast, after getting another lecture from her mother. She'd nodded before turning to Cornelia, telling her she had a plan for the day. If Cornelia had known Nashter would be the main plan, she would have said no. She'd planned to go to the spa, Will or no Will, but now she couldn't leave her friend alone with the alien who, obviously, had a major crush on her. And her redheaded friend was too dense to see it, only viewing any action he made to be hostile. Now was Cornelia's main concern to keep Nash away from Will, not because she worried for her, or the Earth's safety, but more because she was quite sure her friend saw nothing in the alien boy but trouble.

He'd waited for them to come out of the dining room, a smug grin on his face as Will's turned dark. Cornelia only raised an eyebrow, nodding to acknowledge him, to which he replied with a similar nod, yet his eyes remained on her friend.

"So, mister _Fun_," Will sneered over the storm. "What is the first you want to show us?"

He smiled friendly and started walking, forcing them to follow him. Cornelia stayed silent as her eyes darted to Will, who glared at the blonde boy while also trying to protect herself from the rain. But they quickly found a dry spot when they noticed he'd guided them back to the guest cabins. Will crossed her arms, looking expectantly at him, as Cornelia leaned back. Nashter turned and gestured them to go past him.

"I recommend you to get your swimming gear. Because I'll show you the most amazing swimming pool of this ship."

Will scoffed and moved past him, pushing her elbow against him as she did. Cornelia snorted while Nashter rubbed just below his chest, where Will had hit him in his solar plexus. There was always a disadvantage in height, she mused as she walked past him and gathered her swimming gear, just like Will.

They then followed him, in silence, to the same pool Cornelia had dragged Will to yesterday in her hopes of helping her friend from her depression. Annoyance bubbled up, seeing how Will suddenly took more interest in the chlorinated body of water than yesterday, but she also liked to see the happy twinkle return again.

"Come!" Nashter said, pulling Will along.

Cornelia, who barely had stepped out of the dressing room, was immediately snatched by Will and pulled along. Struggling didn't seem to help and she let her friend pull her along. But it didn't mean she started to use her full weight to free herself when she figured out where they were going. A slide, taller than she'd seen on the main land, towered above the pool and with one look, she could see both the challenge and excitement shine in Will's and Nashter's eyes. She didn't have the time to muse about the resemblance when she was hauled up the slide, with no chance of going back.

"This looks dangerous," she muttered as she looked down, blanching when she saw how steep it was.

"Hear that? Not getting scared yourself, huh?"

"You wish."

Cornelia looked back, seeing Will glare pointedly at Nashter, who smugly gestured her to go. To make a point, Will walked up to Cornelia, who moved out of the way. Her friend didn't look at her, but gave Nashter one last glare before turning her head to the slide. Cornelia was almost sure she would see Will pale when she looked down, but found the furrowed look of concentration her friend tended to have during missions. She quirked an eyebrow and looked at Nash, who was apparently hoping to see her pale and grinned amazed when Will went down the slide. It was interesting to see how he could get her serious with something so trivial. His grey eyes, which had followed Will down the slope, now travelled to her and a smirk formed on his lips she found oddly remnant of Irma. A smirk that usually meant nothing good.

"You might have gotten her crazy enough to go, but there is no way in hell I-" she started, before he pushed her lightly, causing her to lose her balance.

"Just go!" he yelled out with humour in his voice.

Adrenaline and fear shot through Cornelia as she raced down the slope, yelling her lungs out as she went, until the warm water swallowed her in her landing. She came up, taking heavy breaths in an attempt to regain her lost oxygen and glared daggers as the alien boy shot down, landing near her. He came up as well and grinned at her, or better said, at someone behind her. Only then did Cornelia realize she heard laughter and turned to see Will laugh at her. She returned with pushing her under water, a feat easily done because the pool was just deep enough to not touch the bottom. Will came up, taking a deep breath and glaring in return, to which Cornelia only batted her eyelashes.

"Up for another run?"

She turned around, Nashter still grinning at them and she found his smile to be infectious. She'd been afraid at first, but the slide turned out to be a lot of fun and when she saw Will's shining face, she knew that it would not stay at just one extra go.

But it didn't end there. After they'd enjoyed the pool for quite some time, lunch time came. Nashter, who was not allowed to eat with the guests, told them he would show them whatever they wanted after lunch. Cornelia had managed to convince him to show her where he'd found Will and so, after a lunch wherein Will seemed in a rather good mood, they went to the place her friend had been hiding in the night. When they left the dining room, Cornelia noticed the storm had calmed down and a pleasant November sun was shining, almost making it too warm for the jackets they were wearing. She'd slyly looked at Will, but found her friend in an animated conversation with Nash about the swimming team of Sheffield. She wondered if Will deliberately told him this information or if she was caught in her happy mood. It was nothing that could be disadvantageous if Nashter turned out to be evil, but it was also strangely amicable of Will to talk like this.

"And here we have the hiding place of the Guardian Leader."

Will replied with a scowl, a nudge in his side and hissing to him to not call her that, immediately losing the smile she'd been wearing. Nashter, however, only grinned and opened a door with 'Restricted area. Authorized personnel only' on it. The heavy iron door creaked and as it opened, Cornelia got a good look at what looked like to be the engine room. The heavy machinery creaked and she couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in disgust as the iron boxes seemed to gleam with grease. She glanced at Will, who now deliberately was trying to avoid her gaze as a soft blush crept upon her cheeks.

"You've got to be…," she muttered.

"Nash! Boy!"

Cornelia was interrupted by a cry of joy by a short, middle-aged Chinese man, who's smiling wrinkles were edged deep in his face as he looked at Nashter, who had cringed at the sound of the man's call. An uncomfortable grin was formed on his lips as he looked awkwardly at the man.

"Hey… Zhu."

She could hear how he forced the words out, the name of his colleague sounding strange on his lips. As if he was unaccustomed to speaking one's Christian name without another title. Now that she'd thought of it, he usually evaded using Will's, or any of the other girls', names, mostly referring to them with their titles or last names.

She rose an eyebrow as Zhu approached Nashter, smiling fondly, while Nashter seemed to shrink a bit. Zhu grabbed Nashter's hand and shook it, before turning to them, the smile probably being a permanent thing. He grabbed her hand with more force than she anticipated and shook it roughly, before taking Will's hand and doing the same.

"How nice of you to come here, with two lovely ladies no less!" he said.

Cornelia was still shaking her hand to get the pain out of it, though she smiled politely at the man. Will too was shaking her hand, her face more contorted and a blush was creeping up. A glare was sent her way when Cornelia let out a chuckle at her friend's expense.

"Did you know I met this guy three days before we left land?" Zhu told them with a grin. "Boy was hauled up, all in the back. I usually don't like it when people roam here, but I found him here. Sleeping. In his work clothing!"

Zhu took some time to laugh, wherein Cornelia once again stole a glance at Will and Nashter. Neither were looking at one another, both blushing. Cornelia felt a grin form, finding the occurrence of Nashter and Will sleeping in the same spot, on different days, mighty interesting.

"Of course I'd yelled at him, asking what he was doing here. You know what he said? He liked it here! The snoring of the machines, everything. He thought it to be relaxing. Well, I can tell you I never heard that in all my years as a mechanic, but I know what he means. That's why I became a mechanic after all. You see…"

Cornelia zoned out as Zhu talked on and on about his life, once again looking back at her friend and their supposed enemy. Will was looking at Zhu, the furrowed brow giving way that she was indeed trying to follow what was being said, but seemed to have trouble doing so. Nashter wasn't paying attention at all, looking into the engine room though Cornelia was almost sure his eyes wandered back to a certain redhead. She shook her head. She'd already had her suspicions, but now it was painfully clear. Yet, somehow, she didn't think it was wrong. Nashter had been nothing but a normal guy ever since he arrived on Earth. She was even prepared to believe he'd truly left his old ways.

"Oh, where are my manners? Would you kids care for some doushabao?"

Cornelia blinked surprised as Zhu held up a small tin with several buns. The scent was familiar and Cornelia smiled, being familiar with the dish thanks to her Chinese friend. She accepted one, just like Will, but Nashter remained dubious. He looked suspiciously at the food, his nose twitching as the scent wafted past him. Cornelia grinned as a playful smirk played on Will's lips. Zhu was ready to close the tin when Will's chuckle echoed over the noise of the machinery.

"What? Afraid?" she taunted him, before taking a bite from the bun.

Nashter immediately frowned and grabbed for a bun, glaring at Will as he brought it to his face.

"You wish," he muttered.

Cornelia raised an eyebrow as Nashter still hesitated with the bun in front of his mouth. His eyes wandered to Will, who took another bite, a smug grin on her face. Cornelia sighed as she saw the glare forming on Nashter's face. These two were more alike than either would admit.  
Nashter took a bite from the bun, while enduring the snickers of both Zhu and Will. His face darkened and a grimace took place, before his eyes widened and he swallowed the bite, looking surprised at them.

"It… It's not bad," he finally muttered, his cheeks gaining a bit of colour as he silently ate the rest.

…

Will didn't want to admit it, but today had been a lot better than yesterday. She'd thought about Matt, but he hadn't been ruling her mind like he did yesterday. There wasn't any time to brood about him, with Nashter pulling her to the many festivities on the boat, while she pulled Cornelia along. After the showing of the engine room and seeing Nashter try something new, they'd gone through the small mall where she made a mental note to buy a sweater for Matt on the last day and then proceeded to the mini-golf course. She'd enjoyed the day far more than she'd thought, but still felt a sense of guilt when she thought about it. She'd been having fun with a guy other than Matt. That shouldn't bother her, but she didn't want to admit that Nashter gave her a strange vibe that caused her to feel the guilt bubble up.

So, during dinner she excused herself for some fresh air, leaving her staring once again at the screen of her phone. The 'no signal' sign was still shining stubbornly in the corner of her phone, while Matt's contact info took the rest of the screen as its own. Will's thumb was hovering above the call button, ready to press the moment the signal returned. A lone tear rolled down, her former worries returning, now with new problems accompanying them. Would Matt be angry when he found out Nashter had spent the day with her? Why should he be, she had every right to do so. After all, he hadn't been here.

She shook her head and sighed, pressing the button despite the 'no signal' sign and pressed the phone against her ear, only hearing the annoying high-pitched tone it was giving her the past days. She took it away and pressed the conversation away, a new sigh leaving her lips. She looked once again dreary at her phone, when the cold November wind blew past her. It sent chills down her spine and she let her cell phone fall in her pocket in favour of warming herself with her two hands. She tugged her red shawl closer around her neck and placed her hands in her sleeves, trying to repress her shivers.

"Hey, aren't you cold?"

She stiffened and slowly turned around, finding Nashter standing behind her in his work clothes. She pushed her lower lip out and pouted a bit, a frown forming on her brow.

"Maybe I am," she muttered, not willing to admit she liked his company right now. "Aren't you supposed to be working?"

He avoided her gaze and scratched the back of his head. His cheeks were coloured, which Will reckoned to be from the icy wind. He then breathed a laugh and sent her a cheeky grin.

"Yeah, but I asked for ten minutes off," he admitted.

Will raised an eyebrow as she took her hands out of her sleeves and placed them on her hips. He looked back at the dining hall he just obviously had left, his composure relaxed as his elbows rested on the handrail of the boat. The wind was playing with his hair and even in the darkness of the night, she could see a twinkle in his eyes.

"And why is that?" she asked, taking the bait.

"Oh. I just told them I had something important to do," he replied, his eyes turning lazily to her.

She rolled her eyes and blew a few strands out of her face, leaning against the handrail as well.

"Really? And what's that?" she sneered, not really bothering with his games.

He grinned and pushed himself from the railing, slowly walking away. She raised an eyebrow and pushed herself off from the handrail herself, crossing her arms. He looked back at her, the annoying twinkle still there.

"If you want to know, follow me."

With that he took a short sprint. Her own curiosity getting the better of her, Will growled and followed him. She muttered darkly under her breath, this was exactly how cats got killed. Curiosity was really not a healthy thing for her to have, but now it drove her through the icy wind and after the alien boy. He took a sharp turn and as she did so as well, she had to halt abruptly or else she would collide into him. He was now leaning against the steel wall of the ship and grinned broadly at her. This caused another roll of her eyes and a sigh. Yet, before she could ask him why he had to be so mysterious, he pointed upwards. She followed his finger and found they were standing near the large chimney. A sturdy iron ladder ran up and she looked at him, an eyebrow up in question of his gesture. He didn't speak, merely grinning at her and a challenging twinkle glistening in his eyes. She bit her lip, looking up again before looking back at him. The smug look was becoming unbearable and she gritted her teeth, grabbing the ladder and climbing up, with Nashter right behind her.

"Why am I doing this?" she asked herself out loud, silently berating her actions.

"We're almost there!" Nashter yelled at her, as if he'd heard her.

Will blew a pluck away, hoisting herself up as she arrived at the end of the ladder. Though once she stood on what seemed to be the crow's nest, her breath stopped in her throat. A smile formed on her lips as the cold wind, icy on the deck, blew past her in an invigorating way. The waves, unruly and wild, spread out before her like a large blanket that fused with the darkness of the night.

"Wow," she breathed.

"Yeah."

She turned around, having forgotten Nashter had been with her, and saw him looking at her with a grin of his own. A blush started to creep up her cheeks, which she hid by turning her head away. Why was this boy, who didn't know anything about life on Earth, being more charming than her own boyfriend?

"Well, what was so important for you to take a break?" she muttered to him, her eyes to the sea.

"A frown is so ugly, don't you think? And I doubt we'd like that storm back."

She turned to him, a glare especially for him on her face. Yet he smiled fondly at her and his eyes sparkled.

"Besides, after seeing your smile, I don't think anything else fits you better."

A blush crept up and she caught a strand of hair that flew past her, her eyes no longer directed at him.

"Nashter, you've been magnificent today, really," she said, complimenting him for the first time. "But I'm still with Matt. You know that, right?"

Nashter's face darkened for a short moment, before he covered it up with a smile. She'd seen the short moment of darkness, but brightened at his smile. He scratched the back of his head and took a step away.

"I-I know," he said, perhaps a bit roughly. "But that doesn't mean I can't see you smile again."

A small smile formed on her lips and she looked at him, seeing a blush staining his cheeks as well.

"Well, thanks," she said, her smile getting bigger. "You really cheered me up."

"You're welcome Guardian."

She gave him a sideway glare, but it couldn't repress her smile. It was her way of thanking him, allowing him to call her by her title. Just this once. Besides, the night and sight were too beautiful to ruin now.  
She felt his energy hum pleasantly close to her and took a step closer to him, leaning into the warmth his presence was providing. They didn't touch, but his energy was pushing against hers and warming her nonetheless. A new smile formed on her lips and breathed out in happiness. He did so as well and together they stood there, longer than she bothered to count. Only when a colleague of Nashter called him, telling him his break ended twenty minutes ago. It reminded her of her family back at the dinner table and they walked back, not looking or speaking with one another.

As she arrived at the table, she could see Cornelia's raised eyebrow as her eyes temporarily followed Nashter who was about to get chewed out by his supervisor. The steel blue eyes of her friend found her and a small smile played on the pink lips. Will turned her eyes away, suppressing her blush and trying to strike up a conversation with her step-father, who seemed to be sulking about his sweaters. Yet, as she listened to him talking about the ordeal he'd gone through to get new sweaters, her eyes sometimes wandered back to the alien boy. Perhaps he was no enemy after all.

The night passed without any contact with the alien boy and Sunday rolled on quickly. Nashter wasn't seen on that day, mostly because Will and Cornelia were too busy packing their stuff. The ship would arrive in Heatherfield again by midday and while the repacking was in the familiar Vandom fashion of chaos, Will did manage to sneak off in the midst of said chaos and bought the sweater she'd seen yesterday. Her anger with Matt had melted away over the night and she'd hoped the sweater would work as a sign of reconciliation.

So after returning, getting chewed out by both her mother and Cornelia, Will packed the last of her things and went to stand at the rim with her family as the coast came near. Leaning forward her eyes skimmed the docks, roaming through the waiting crowd in the hopes of seeing her boyfriend waiting for her.

She found her friends waiting for her, but her heart fell a bit when Matt's presence seemed to be missing. A soft sigh left her lips and she looked when a hand touched her shoulder. She looked up to see Cornelia smiling encouragingly at her. She returned the gesture, though couldn't help but wonder what the reason was for the lack of her boyfriend's presence.

To avoid Cornelia from worrying too much, she walked to her parents, making sure that everything was packed and that her baby brother was behaving. Perhaps she sometimes scanned the deck for the silhouette of the alien boy who'd been entertaining her this weekend, but even that seemed to be false hope.

They finally moored and as they left the ship, Will and Cornelia were immediately greeted by the other girls.

"Welcome back!" Hay Lin said, running at them and forcing Will into a bone-crushing hug. "We missed you!"

"How much money did you spend?"

Will rolled her eyes and flashed a grin at Irma, not surprised that it was her first question. She grinned even more when Cornelia took out a bag and grinned at her.

"A lot," she said. "But I've got something for you too, so don't complain."

Irma looked first dumbstruck, her mouth wide open as Cornelia pulled a pink shirt with flowers on it out of the bag. Her lips formed a big smile when Cornelia presented it to her and hugged her in response.

"Thanks! I guess I'm about to see pigs fly soon?" she said.

This got a round of snickers from the group, with Cornelia flicking her hair and pouting a bit.  
"Well, if you don't like it…"

"No chance Corny, this is what you get for being nice."

As this exchange was taking place, Will only listened half. Instead her eyes were still searching the crowd, hoping to see Matt appear despite the feeling in her stomach. Her hand clutched the bag that held his sweater. He had to come.

"He's not here."

Her eyes were pulled to Taranee. Her sudden declaration caught the attention of the whole group, even pulling Cornelia and Irma out their argument about nicknames. Will looked at her, hoping for more information. Taranee's chocolate eyes looked sadly at her, her mouth corners pulled down. She was playing with her hands, and looked almost guiltily at her. She took a deep breath and grimaced.

"He told me, to tell you, that he had to work and could not come. He's very sorry and wants to meet you tonight at the park."

Taranee said it calmly, but to Will it felt like a blow. She knew she didn't have any signal on the boat, but why didn't he text her? She would have received it the moment she had signal again. Why wouldn't he talk to her?

"Will, please. Don't be upset," Cornelia said.

But she wanted to. She wanted to yell and scream. Maybe even cry. Not out of sadness, but frustration with having a boyfriend who was just impossible. Then again, maybe he had his reasons. Perhaps he no longer had any credit for his phone and couldn't call her. Maybe she should give him a chance. Another one. Like always.  
A smile formed on her lips. Okay, she would wait. She was sure he would clear any doubts tonight.

"Why should I be upset?" she heard herself say. "It happens. I just can't wait to see him tonight."

She saw the others smile at her, which she replied gently. They knew things would be alright. So why did she feel so uneasy for tonight? She found herself scanning the mob again, only finding that her gaze wandered to the boat ever so slightly. She thought she saw a blonde alien boy walk away, but it could as well has been her imagination, with all the passengers getting off. Her attention was called when Taranee questioned about the weekend. She winced when all eyes fell upon her when Cornelia told them about Nashter. It was a distraction she needed.

…

The cold air brushed past her and Will pulled her favourite grey vest tighter as she sat on the bench in the park. Perhaps she should have worn a jacket after all. She pressed her legs together, glad to be wearing jeans tonight. She never got how Cornelia could so easily wear a skirt when it was this cold. She shivered a bit, her hands shortly leaving the package on her legs to warm her arms. He will come, she just had to be patient a little while longer.

_Nashter didn't make me wait this long_.

She shook her head, hoping to get the treacherous voice out of her head. It was a lie anyway and besides, Matt would probably have a great reason to be a little later.

As if she was heard, a figure approached her. The streetlights illuminated him and it was indeed Matt coming towards her, his hands stuffed in one of his baggy sweaters. A smile graced her lips. She'd really missed him.

"Sorry Will, I had to work late."

The sentence was both sincere and full of guilt, but somehow it struck a chord within Will. Her thoughts brought her involuntarily back to Nashter, who interrupted his work to see her.  
She shook her head, both clearing her thoughts as indicating she wasn't bothered. The last was perhaps a lie, but she was way too glad he was here. They could finally talk things out.

"Hey, no problem, really."

Matt smiled, reassured by her utterance, and took her in his arms. They were warm and as she was pressed against his chest, she could smell the scent of old frying oil coming from him.  
The hug ended as quick as it happened and Will looked away, a blush staining her cheeks. Was it okay to hug like this after their fight, or was it an unanimous consent between the two of them that that argument never happened? She wouldn't want that. That argument raised to many questions she wanted an answer to.  
She looked at him and saw him staring at the package that was still in her hands. She looked down and fumbled a bit, almost unnoticeably biting her lip. She raised the package and pressed it against him, before looking up and into his murky brown eyes.

"I bought you a present."

_Because you forgot to actually come._  
Once again, a treacherous thought made it true and this time, she couldn't help but agree with it. Because if Matt hadn't forgotten, he would have been with her when she bought it.  
She looked at him. The moment she'd spoken she could see something flash behind his eyes and his face darkened only temporarily, before his hands went for the package. She watched him as he opened it and saw a small smile play on his lips as he held up the clothing article.

"Thanks."

She smiled at him, before the two of them fell into a silence. It was unbearable and she often turned her head ever so slightly to see what Matt was doing. He had taken the liberty to sit next to her on the bench and was facing the other direction. What was he thinking and why hadn't he spoken up yet? He had to explain himself. He had to tell her he was an idiot for forgetting about the cruise and that he was sorry for what he had done.  
She wanted to know why he wasn't on time Friday, why he had the audacity to tell her that them growing apart was just as much her fault as his and, even though he had to work, he didn't tell it to her personally. Why had he told Taranee to tell her he couldn't make it?

"Honestly."

The word left her lips more frustrated than she intended. She coughed a little and sat straighter, hoping to undo the damage the word had done.

"Why didn't you come to the harbour today?"

This sounded a lot gentler and she watched how Matt turned his head away. Annoyance filled her, causing her to grit her teeth. Her eyes narrowed as he finally spoke, but it wasn't in his favour.

"I said I'm sorry, I had to work and I told Taranee..."

"You should have told me!"

She'd gotten up and glared him down. His eyes turned darker as he looked up, only a shine of helplessness in them while his lips formed a thin line. His face told her to stop. That she wasn't understanding him and shouldn't judge. It didn't matter to her what he wanted, for he was constantly missing what she wanted.

"This time it's the job! Other times it's your friends or matches or training! You always find something you think is more important than me, Matt!"

His fists tightened on his knees and he breathed loudly as she spoke. His eyes never left her and she saw him grit his teeth before trying to talk himself out of it.

"It's not like that!" he said. "I already told you, you're what's most important to me!"

_Then why does it feel like you're lying? Why can't I feel your heart?_

Will turned away, no longer willing to hear his excuses. She didn't come here for excuses, but for him to take the blame. He was now merely trying to weasel himself out of it. This wasn't a way to show love. He had the time, he just chose not to spend it with her.

"If I'm really that important, then you should show it!" she said. "Every day!"

He didn't yell at her like she expected him to. He wasn't fighting to prove her wrong. He just sighed and remained seated. He was slumped in the bench and looked even remorsefully to the ground. He suddenly looked years older.

"You're right. I'm sorry. I've tried to, but I haven't managed to..."

"Nashter managed!"

Her hands flew to her lips as Matt's eyes flashed angrily while looking at her. Now it was her time to look away. She never wanted to tell him this. Matt had been irrationally jealous when she and Nashter had hugged and mentioning him now would not make things better. This was proven right when he got up, now looking down upon her. This was meant to be intimidating, but something in Will flared up that made her stand tall and look straight back at Matt.

"What's he got to do with all this?"

Matt's voice was dangerously low, as if he was expecting her to tell him she cheated. The thought alone of him thinking that, angered her even more and she crossed her arms, turning her head away from him.

"I met him on the ship. _He_ cheered me up, nothing more. But at least he made time to do so!"

_At least he was there._

She didn't have to say it, for it was already hanging in the air. The accusation just dripped through her words and left a bitter taste in her mouth. It was true that Nashter had been nothing but a gentleman, but for the alien boy, an enemy of Kandrakar, to have entertained her this much, was both unsettling as suspicious. The thing that bothered her the most was that he had behaved more like a boyfriend than Matt had been.

Matt too, noticed the bitter words between her sentences. His lips were twisted into a grimace and he snorted loudly.

"Well, if he's so fun, who don't you just go be with him instead!"

"Don't you PMS on me!" Will retorted. "He has nothing to do with this!"

It was obvious that her choice of words was not exactly the right kind, but she couldn't help herself. She was just angry. Angry at Matt for acting like this. He was acting like a woman, a very jealous one. She was also angry at Nashter, for being the cause of this argument. And she was angry at herself, for actually being so tactless that even Hay Lin would shake her head.

"He has everything to do with this, Will," Matt said, turning to her. "Ever since you met him, things went bad between us!"

"Things were going bad before!" Will said. "You became distant ever since... Ever since these new powers!"

As if to emphasize her statement, did the lights around her flicker heavily. She took a deep breath, stabilizing herself and glaring at Matt. They weren't supposed to argue, yet he was being so difficult.

"That's nonsense!" he said.

"Oh yeah?"she said, her eyes completely focussed on him. "Tell me when I'm wrong. First you return from your tour with Karmilla and it's like I'm hugging a figure of ice. Then you show up, right after we gain new powers, claiming you knew this and was also longer informed about us being Guardians. You tell me you knew all my secrets before I knew them and still acted like you did not. Then, when Kandor appears, you turn out to be a general or captain for Kandrakar! And you never bothered to explain! You hold millions of secrets, while you expect me to tell you everything! And even now, even though you know everything about me, you still find the power to suspect me!"

"I do not suspect you of anything!" Matt cried out. "You haven't been noticing it, but I am. You're slowly turning away from me, Will, not the other way around!"

A laugh left her lips, hollow and angry, just like she felt.  
"I've been trying to keep you close, you've been turning me away!"

"And I bet Nashter would not do that!"

"Would you stop being such a girl! I told you he has nothing to do with it!"

Matt turned around, his shoulders pulled up and his hands in his pocket, the sweater carelessly hanging around his arm.

"Maybe not," he said as he walked away. "But it's clear I can no longer make you happy."

Her heart stopped, her eyes fixed on his back. Her anger sank, but her feet were rooted at the spot, seeing him retreat further and further. Did he just... No, she heard that wrong. It wasn't what she was thinking. This wasn't supposed to happen tonight. He was supposed to hold her and be sweet to her, like he used to be.

"You're leaving?"

He halted, even though he did not look back. Instead, he looked upwards to the sky and she could see his shoulders slowly drop.

"No, I'll never leave. I still have my mission," he said. "But. I won't remain your boyfriend."

With that he left and as he went, Will felt a knot in the bottom of her stomach. She wanted to run after him, hold him and tell him she'd been stupid. But the treacherous voice of tonight was still lingering in the depths of her mind. It told her she had nothing to apologize for. Matt was being irrational. He was jealous about nothing. Nashter was nothing. It was even Nashter's fault this all happened. Matt was just too stupid to see this.

Tears slowly fell down her cheeks and it took her a while to realize she was crying. She bit her lips and balled her fists, before taking a sharp turn. No, she wouldn't cry. She wouldn't miss him.  
She was lying to herself. She knew she would miss him and that her heart would ache every time she saw him. She gritted her teeth. It was all Nashter's fault, everything was.

**...**

Cornelia sighed as she looked at the closed door. This was the third time this week she was standing here. The first time had been when she'd heard about Will's break-up. The second was because the other girls thought Will needed a cheer-up squad. She still cringed at the idea, for she knew how useless it was. She was even surprised Will hadn't been chucking lightning bolts at them. She would if she knew that the others wanted to talk Matt into talking to her. Yeah, if they wanted to see a natural disaster happening from close-by, then they had her blessing. But it was painfully obvious to her that this was a relationship that could no longer be mended.  
And so, with a deep sigh, did she knock the door to Will's bedroom. Her mother had been so good to not try and force her to school, not when Will looked like she could just as well walk under a bus. This was proven when Cornelia opened the door and looked inside.

"Can I enter?"

It was an unnecessary question, as she had already entered, but even so Will stared at her as if she was on the verge of saying no. Her eyes, large and puffy, squinted into two lines and her hands balled.

"Is this another attempt for having _fun_?"

She sneered and Cornelia repressed a shudder. Will rarely spoke like this, but the warning was clear and she shook her head slowly, not moving from her spot until Will relaxed.

"I just wanted to talk," she said. "I'm not sure if it will help, but it's worth a shot."

Will looked at her, passively. She made no gesture for Cornelia to continue, other than keeping her attention on Cornelia. This wasn't exactly encouraging, but Cornelia tried anyway. She took a few steps forward and found Will moving slowly, making way for her on the bed. Cornelia accepted and sat down, looking at Will who was still waiting for her.

"I... I want to tell you how I felt when Caleb and I broke up."

A snort came from Will and Cornelia only raised an eyebrow as to question her, yet Will remained silent. She frowned, but continued as if she hadn't been interrupted.

"I was convinced that Caleb was my perfect half, because he was in my dreams, you know? I think I could leave everything behind to stay with him, but he decided he didn't want it to happen. And so he left me."

A new snort left Will and this time Cornelia looked at her, annoyance clearly written in her face. Will, too, was looking considerably irritated and she lifted her face from her knees.

"I'm sorry Corny, but you and Caleb knew each other for a month? Maybe two? Besides, you were fourteen. Matt and I... We have three years together. I think that's something different than your one-month boyfriend."

It was almost spiteful and Cornelia grimaced a bit. She felt mocked, but as she looked at Will, whose eyes were shining with anger, she suddenly started to laugh. This caused her redheaded friend to frown at her.

"What I said was apparently hilarious. Sorry I can't see the humour in it," Will said deadpanned.

Cornelia shook her head and coughed, trying to regain composure. She then smiled at Will, who was understandably irritated by it.

"I'm sorry. You're right, my relationship with Caleb was nothing compared to what you had with Matt. But what I wanted to tell you, was that even though it was one month, I was still depressed, much like you are now. But Will, life goes on and hearts will heal. Hearts will love. And I bet yours will do so as well."

_I bet yours is doing it right now, even though it's being drowned out by your grief over Matt._  
She looked at Will, who was now stubbornly looking away, her shoulders pulled up and her nose hidden behind her knees. A sulking Will had always been a funny thing to see, despite the circumstances. It always reminded Cornelia of her little sister whenever she couldn't get something she wanted. And now, Cornelia was sure Will was more annoyed about the fact that she wasn't arguing with her about the painful remark and that she was most probably right. She could see how it was irking her friend and a small smile played on her lips.

When Will turned back to her, Cornelia found that her anger had disappeared and had been replaced by grief. Cornelia scooted closer and placed a hand on her knee.

"You know what they say right?" She said, pointing upwards as to indicate Kandrakar. "Trust the heart. Listen to it."

She had hoped to see a small smile on Will's face, with Will telling her that she was being a hypocrite, seeing that Cornelia had never believed that the Heart of Kandrakar had actually been in contact with Will. Instead she saw the corners of Will's mouth tremble, as if she were trying to smile, only for them to fall down.

"Right now it bears only one word,"

Cornelia opened her arms and took the redhead in a hug, knowing which word was filling her friend's heart. She only hoped Will would soon enough see that some relationships were not meant to last. And some were to blossom from the ashes of these failed experiments in love. 

_**[A/N] Well, end of the issue. I hope you enjoyed it better than the original comic, because it honestly annoyed me terribly. I also think that the comic is really going from bad to worse, has been for quite a while, but now it's just noticeable. Oh well, that's why fanfic was invented!  
Also, I am planning to continue on this, but will do so after I finished "Howling for fortune". The story will most likely be called "When energies collide".  
Review and tell me what you think!**_


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